June 9, 2025
Three expert panelists gathered to discuss top industry issues on the Washington policy agenda – specifically, ATC modernization, tariffs and aircraft-data security – during a well-attended panel discussion held during the June 4 NBAA White Plains Regional Forum.
The “Capital Connection” panel featured NBAA Senior Vice President Safety, Security, Sustainability and International Operations Doug Carr as moderator, along with participants Katie DeLuca, a partner with Harper Meyer for international and domestic transactional matters; and Dan McCabe, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) NSO regional vice president.
ATC Modernization
“We are in times like I have never seen,” McCabe said, in describing the industry’s unity around the need for increased air traffic control staffing and modernizing the nation’s aviation system – and in opposing the overhyped, underperforming ATC privatization models in other countries.
More than 50 organizations, including NBAA and NATCA, are part of the new Modern Skies coalition, which aims to work with the administration on supporting strategic investments to upgrade the ATC system. The coalition includes national and international aviation associations, trade unions, manufacturers and others.
Carr said the $12.5 billion in the House budget bill targeted toward systemwide ATC upgrades is a good start, noting, “We can’t do small bits and pieces; we do it all or nothing.”
“Everyone benefits from this,” added McCabe “We owe it to the people of the U.S. and the world to give something back to them that is better than it is today. Over the next year, I hope we’ve hired the maximum number of controllers, and we have a roadmap,” he added. “I hope that the focus remains where it is today, and I hope we remain in unison as one to push the system forward.”
Tariffs
DeLuca noted that developments related to trade and tariffs in the first half of 2025 resembled a rollercoaster ride, given the myriad pauses, modifications and court rulings impacting which goods fall under the administration’s proposed levies.
The 33-country Agreement on Tade in Civil Aviation, which has been in place since 1980, eliminates tariffs on civil aircraft, engines and related parts, DeLuca noted. The U.S. essentially drafted the agreement, which includes the provision that parts must be certified to FAA standards.
“That agreement achieves the goal of this administration, which is to have America be the leader in aviation and aerospace,” DeLuca said.
“When the playing field is level, the U.S. often wins,” Carr added.
Carr and DeLuca noted that the White Plains Forum immediately followed the June 3 deadline for the industry to comment on a Department of Commerce investigation into the impact of tariffs on aviation.
NBAA submitted comments pointing to the sector’s economic importance, adding that since the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft went into effect, the U.S. has dominated every aspect of civil aviation and enjoyed a massive surplus. Read NBAA’s comments to the Commerce Department.
For the moment, Carr and DeLuca agreed, the tariff landscape remains highly fluid and for those considering an aircraft purchase or sale, “there are often more questions than answers,” Carr said. For example, DeLuca added, if you’re a U.S. buyer looking to purchase a Canadian-origin aircraft based in Australia, there’s a lot of complexity, as the industry waits to see how the tariff issue is ultimately resolved.
DeLuca said she doesn’t expect to see firm answers in the near future and expects the issue to ultimately go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Aircraft-Ownership Data Security
The panel also noted that the forum day coincided with the June 4 deadline for industry comment on the FAA’s plan to bolster business aviation security by removing personally identifiable information from the FAA Aircraft Registry – an initiative NBAA supports and advocated for as part of the 2024 FAA reauthorization bill.
The availability of such data enables unwanted tracking and exposure of flight operations, compromising the safety and security of pilots, passengers and companies – a point included in the detailed analysis NBAA submitted about the need for the new data safeguards, which were echoed in more than 200 comment submissions from other industry stakeholders. Read NBAA’s comments on the FAA’s new PII protections.
Carr noted that while the planned aircraft-data security protections are critical, the industry recognizes the FAA’s Aircraft Registry is an essential tool for maintaining accurate title and ownership records.
“There’s a need for balance,” Carr said. The registry shows more than $25 billion in economic activity each year, “and we don’t want that to break.”
Motor vehicle departments have created protections that prevent the public from typing in license plate and knowing who owns a car, but there are 14 allowable uses for being able to access that data. “I’m hopeful that’s where the FAA starts,” in considering a model to follow, Carr said.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.